Pail support



Nov. 10, 1959 J. A. RAYSINGER PAIL SUPPORT Filed July 17. 1957 Joseph A Rays/agar IN V EN TOR.

United States PatentO 5 PAIL SUPPORT .loseph A. Raysinger, Baltimore, Md. Application July 17, 1957, Serial N0. 672,487 3 Claims. (Cl. 248-210) This invention relates to a support for a pail that has a bail.

An object of the invention is to provide a support or holder for a pail or like container having a bail. My support differs from those of which I have been made aware, by being more practical and inexpensive. In addition, it has greater versatility being useful as an attachment for a ladder or as an aid to hold a pail in the hand.

One of the important features of my invention is the way that the pail is supported. It is held from beneath, and the bail of the pail is fastened off to one side of the top opening in the pail. The result is that the bail will not interfere with reaching into the pail either with a paint brush, or with a persons hand or with any other object. 7

Although the invention has excellent utility as an appliance to facilitate the handling of a paint can, other types of pails advantageously could use the principles of the invention. The pail in which fruit is placed after being picked from trees is but one example of the versatility of the invention. In all applications, however, the advantage of having the pail supported from beneath its bottom and deriving lateral stability from the attachment of the bail with the support automatically holding the bail at least slightly spaced from the direct entry into the pail, are achieved.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel pail support which is capable of being applied to the right or left rail of a ladder with equal facility. The shape of the illustrated embodiment of the invention makes this possible.

Other objects and features of importance such as the capability of application of advertising matter on the support, will become apparent in following the description of the illustrated form of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pail support constructed in accordance with the invention, the pail support being disposed on a ladder and retaining a pail which are shown in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is a side view of the pail support of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top view of the pail support in Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the pail support showing it being used in another way.

In the accompanying drawing there is a pail support or holder 10 constructed in accordance with the invention. The support is made of one-piece construction and is preferably, but not necessarily, made of metal. The following parts are connected in end-to-end relationship with each other: Hook 12 opens downwardly and has a shorter side 14 and a longer side 16. A smoothly curved intermediate part 18 is connected to sides 14 and 16 in the formation of hook 12. Longer side 16 has a laterally projecting arm 19 connected at its end. The arm 19 is perpendicular to a plane passed through hook 12. An upwardly opening loop 20 constitutes means within which to hold the bail 22 of a typical pail 24. Loop 20 is formed in the outer end of arm 19 and is formed of a circular part of arm 19. The circular part of the arm has entrance 26 formed by the smoothly curved cammed surfaces that are formed at the ends of the loop. These cam surfaces 28 and 30 facilitate the passing of a bail into loop 20 and facilitates the removal of the bail from the loop.

Arm 34 is attached at right angles to arm 19 and is parallel to the previously mentioned plane containing book 12. Arm '34 depends from arm 18 and has a laterally extending base 36 fixed to its lower end. The base is preferably flat to form a surface on which the bottom of pail 24 will more securely rest and to form a surface on which advertising matter may be applied by any of the known techniques. Base '36 is parallel to arm 19 thereby making it perpendicular to hook 12 and arm 34.

There are a number of ways to use pail support 10. One of the suggested procedures is to apply the pail support to either rail of a ladder 40. Rail 42 of the ladder has rungs 44 held in place within it. The hook 12 is slipped on one of the rungs and a part of arm 19 abuts a surface of rail 40. This establishes an upright position for arm 34. Pail 24 has its bottom resting on base 36 and its bail 22 fitted in loop 20. This automatically'positions the bail 22 so that it is removed from the direct line of entry to the pail. Moreover the fastening of the bail 22 in loop 20 establishes lateral support for the pail on base 36. The main weight of the pail and its contents is supported by base 36. Although unshown the attachment 10 together with its pail 24 which schematically represents a pail of any size, may be hooked over a rung of the ladder and rested against the opposite rail of ladder 40. This would locate the pail closer to the work should a painter, fruit picker, etc. so desire.

Another suggestion for using my pail support is shown in Figure 4. Instead of applying hook 12 to the rung 44 of a ladder, the hook 12 is placed over the wrist of the user. Should the user desire to adjust the pail on the base 36, he may do so. However, this is not neces- 0 sary since the base may rest against the side wall of the pail and with the user keeping the attachment tilted correctly, the pail will remain steady. Either alternative is satisfactory. Moreover, the pail support could be used or hung from other supports or places, as tree limbs, ropes or wires, boat painters chairs orscaffolds, etc., to help prevent the pail from swinging excessively. It is not necessary to remove the support from the pail when it isdesired to rest the pail on a flat surface.

The pail support may be used in many other ways and may be used for pails that are adapted to accommodate many products. Accordingly, the description applies only to a few of the possible embodiments of the invention. All modifications that fall within the scope of the following claims may be made.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A device to support a pail that has a bail, said device constructed of a single wire and comprising an arm, a pail bottom supporting base attached to and protruding laterally from one end of said arm, means at the opposite end of said arm and in part coplanar with said base for maintaining said arm and base in an elevated position by selectively engaging a ladder rung or a persons wrist, means having an almost completely closed loop therein which is laterally spaced from said base and arm and laterally and upwardly spaced from said base for connecting said maintaining means to said arm, and the loop of said connecting means adapted to support the bail of the pail in a position spaced from the direct path of entry into the pail.

2. A device to support a pail that has a bail, said device constructed of a single wire and comprising a first arm, a pail bottom supporting base attached to and protruding laterally from one end of said arm, means selectively engageable with a ladder rung and rail or a persons wrist and connected to the opposite end of said arm and in part coplanar with said base for maintaining said arm and base in an elevated position, said means having an almost completely closed loop therein which is laterally and upwardly spaced from said base and laterally spaced from said arm for supporting the pail bail in a position spaced from the direct path of entry into the pail, said means also including a second arm fixed to said first mentioned arm and generally parallel and coplanar with said base, said loop located between the ends of said second arm, said means further'including a hook which opens at right angles to said second arm and base and disposed at the outer end of said second arm, said hook adapted to selectively engage a ladder rung or the wrist of a person and having a first side approximately normal to and coplanar with said second arm, and a curved portion in a plane approximately normal to the plane containing said second arm, first arm and said base.

3. A device to support a pail that has a bail on the left rail of a ladder, the right rail of a ladder and the hand and wrist of a painter, said device constructed of a single piece of wire that has a coplanar base, first arm and second arm, said base protruding laterally from one end of said first arm and arranged at approximately right angles thereto, said second arm protruding laterally from said first arm and at the opposite end thereof, said second arm having a loop that is essentially closed and that is located adjacent to the juncture of said first and second arms, said loop separably holding the bail of the pail and disposed in longitudinally offset relationship to said base so that the bail is supported on the side of the opening of the pail and thereby avoids interference with the free entry into the pail, a hook disposed at right angles to said second arm and base, said hook having a side coplanar with said first and second arms, and said hook adapted to fit over the wrist of an individual with said second arm reference to the upright position of a ladder with the second arrn abutting a surface of either rail of the ladder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,162,022 Mansfield June 13, 1939 2,318,930 Dietrich May 11, 1943 2,522,658 Williams Sept. 19, 1950 

